Households in England and Wales will see their water bills increase by an average of £33 per year from April, a 5.4% rise that takes the typical annual bill to £639. The increase, announced by industry body Water UK, is intended to fund repairs to leaking pipes and sewage treatment works.
The highest average bill will be £759 for Southern Water customers in southern England. United Utilities customers in north-west England face the biggest increase at £57, while Thames Water customers see the smallest rise at £3, as the crisis-hit supplier added most of its five-year increase last year.
The rise comes amid ongoing public anger over sewage spills into rivers and seas. Ofwat, the regulator, has approved a record £104bn in spending by water companies between 2025 and 2030, with customers covering half the cost through bills.
Campaign group River Action is taking legal action against the government, arguing the bill increases were not properly granted. Chief executive James Wallace said the hikes mean 'bill payers, not water companies, are being forced to pick up the tab for decades of failure'.
Water UK chief executive David Henderson acknowledged the difficulty for customers but stressed the investment is needed to secure water supplies and end sewage pollution. The Consumer Council for Water warned that poorer households face a 'postcode lottery' for financial support, with complaints about affordability nearly tripling in the past year.
